Outstanding miler Obviously (6g Choisir x Leala, by Montjeu) made it back to back wins in the Grade I Shoemaker Mile, capturing the feature for the second year running at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Previously trained by the now retired Mike Mitchell, the talented front runner assumed his customary role and was too good in cruising home to take the one mile contest on turf by a length and a half.

“He’s all class,” said winning rider Joseph Talamo.

“He was going fast, but he was doing it fairly easily. With him, you don’t have a choice though. His thing is going to the front. If I would have taken him back, we wouldn’t have won. You give him his head and let him do it.

“He is one of the best I’ve ever sat on. I just waited as long as I could to make my move because I knew we had closers coming after us. It’s amazing he could still accelerate after running as fast as he did.”

A winner of 11 of his 20 starts with over $1.3 million in prizemoney, Obviously was bought as a tried horse by Boomer Bloodstock for his current owners and is the first stakes-winner for unraced Montjeu mare Leala, whose dam is a sister to three-time Group I winner Hawkster.

Obviously is one of seven Group I winners for Australian bred Royal Ascot hero Choisir, who has proven a top class sire in both hemispheres leaving 60 stakes-winners to date.